On Friday Bill Belichick cautioned the media about reading too much into practice performances that take place without pads. True evaluations can’t take place, he said, until the equipment is in place and the intensity is turned up a few notches.

On Saturday the former took place but the latter didn’t necessarily fall into place.

The Patriots third practice of training camp indeed took place with the team in full pads but the overall competition and intensity weren’t always evident. With the exception of a few drills here and there, most of the practice did not feature many competitive situations. The focus instead seemed to be on execution and for the most part it seemed to be pretty solid throughout the unseasonably chilly morning in Foxborough.

With temperature hovering in the 60s and a persistent wind blowing throughout, the Patriots spent about two hours working out in full pads for the first time since walking off the NRG Stadium field in Houston as Super Bowl champions last February.

Tom Brady wasn’t fazed by the odd weather as he continued his fine start to camp with some more impressive throws. He fired several passes into some tight windows and was sharp throughout. On the rare occasions when his throws didn’t connect with receivers, it usually took a strong individual effort from a defensive player.

One such occurrence came in a 1-on-1 drill when Jordan Richards made a terrific dive in front of Jacob Hollister near the sideline. Otherwise, Brady was in midseason form. Read